TORONTO (AP) – On Wednesday, Canada proposed a new law that could prevent children under the age of 16 from having social media accounts unless companies can prove their platforms are safe.
This move is part of a larger global push to enhance safety measures. Canadian officials indicated that social media platforms might receive an exemption if they establish adequate protections.
“We are failing our children. Enough is enough,” Marc Miller, Canada’s culture minister, stated. “We need basic protection in place.”
The proposed law addresses seven categories of harmful content including material that encourages self-harm, promotes violence and hatred, and shares non-consensual intimate images.
A new agency called the Digital Safety Commission of Canada will be established. Details about what exemptions may look like will be provided later. Miller noted that setting up this commission might take as long as 18 months.
Miller mentioned that platforms must demonstrate their safety measures. Age verification processes will also be put in place.
Countries such as Australia, Brazil, and Indonesia have already implemented or announced restrictions based on age for children’s access to social media. Other nations like Britain, France, Spain, Denmark, Thailand, and South Korea are exploring or developing similar strategies.
In Canada, platforms offering adult content won’t qualify for any exemptions.
The legislation would also impose regulations on companies operating artificial intelligence chatbots by requiring them to act responsibly through methods like crisis intervention protocols.
In Australia, social media firms have blocked around 4.7 million accounts identified as belonging to kids since they prohibited access for those under 16 years old. This law sparked significant debate in Australia regarding technology use, privacy concerns, child safety issues, and mental health matters and has encouraged other countries to consider similar actions.
A Canadian government official said during a briefing with reporters that they hope to learn from Australia’s experience.
Lianna Mc Donald, Executive Director of the Canadian Centre for Child Protection, praised the initiative and pointed out that sextortion cases on social media have risen sharply.
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